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FAQ : How Do You Pronounce REALTOR®?

Managing Real Estate Broker with Jon Gosche Real Estate, LLC - BoiseMeridianRealEstate.com Designated Broker DB29503

June 08, 2017 09:05 AM

Question: How do you pronounce REALTOR®? How do you pronounce Realty?

Answer: Do me a quick favor and say both words out loud right now. Go ahead. I'll wait. Done? Ok. It's probably NOT how you just pronounced them.

In another of my Frequently Asked Questions posts, FAQ : Aren't All Real Estate Agents REALTORS®?, one thing that I didn't address is the pronunciation of REALTOR®. Actually, this is less of a frequently asked question and more of a "many people do this wrong and don't even know it" sort of thing. Even some REALTORS® themselves say REALTOR® and realty incorrectly. I get it; they are kind of tough to say. They are clunky words and feel like they need an additional vowel thrown into them, which is exactly what most people do.

In order to answer this question I have enlisted this guy to help.

It is not spelled REAL-A-TOR®, it is spelled REAL-TOR®.

It is not spelled REAL-I-TY, it is spelled REALTY.

We REALTORS® like to compare ourselves to doctors and lawyers; so here's another way we can throw doctors into the conversation to better explain our profession and this particular issue.

You don't say DOC-A-TOR, you say DOC-TOR. Right?

Phew, I'm glad I was able to sneak that one in.

If you have been mispronouncing these words all this time, don't feel too badly - you are not alone. But, if you still aren't sure take a look at this article:

Glad to Be A Real-A-Tor

If you have 15 minutes to spare and want a good laugh, this is a funny video on mispronounced words and phrases. I happened upon it while looking for a pronunciation video on REALTORS® and thought it was worth sharing.

If you would like to work with a great REALTOR® (not REAL-A-TOR®) here in the Treasure Valley area please feel free to contact us.

John Boles 208-830-6185 (call/text)

johnboles@boiserealtystore.com

BoiseMeridianRealEstate.com

Serving all of Ada & Canyon Counties and

portions of Gem, Owyhee & East Boise Counties

Jon Gosche Real Estate, LLC

Boise, Idaho Real Estate

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Brian England

Vacasa - Gilbert, AZ

MBA, GRI, REALTOR® Real Estate in East Valley AZ

Haha, it's often annoying when people pronounce words wrong, but my own Dad does it all of the time, no matter how many times we let him know the correct way to pronounce.

Jun 09, 2017 06:40 AM

Nina Hollander, Broker

Charlotte, NC
Lou Ludwig

Boca Raton, FL

George Souto

George Souto NMLS #65149 FHA, CHFA, VA Mortgages - Middletown, CT

Your Connecticut Mortgage Expert

Kasey and John I have probably heard the incorrect pronunciation of both words more than I have heard them pronounced correctly. I don't know why people want to stick and "a" and and "i" in there but they do.

Jun 09, 2017 07:44 AM

Nina Hollander, Broker

Charlotte, NC

Kasey & John Boles

Jon Gosche Real Estate, LLC - BoiseMeridianRealEstate.com - Boise, ID

Boise & Meridian, ID Ada/Canyon/Gem/Boise Counties

Debbie Reynolds I'm (sadly) not surprised by that....-Kasey

Jun 09, 2017 09:41 AM

Thank you Gita Bantwal, have a great weekend! -Kasey

Many people do Brian England. They are kind of hard to say and sometimes you have to think about it or be practiced. I get why people mispronounce them, but I also think people don't really know. Happy Friday! -Kasey

Jun 09, 2017 09:43 AM

Brian England

Gilbert, AZ

George Souto you are correct, I think they probably more often mispronounced than not. It's easy to stick that extra vowel in there, easier than the correct way to say it I think! -Kasey

Jun 09, 2017 09:44 AM

Joan Cox

House to Home, Inc. - Denver Real Estate - 720-231-6373 - Denver, CO

Denver Real Estate - Selling One Home at a Time

Kasey, so many get this wrong, and really bad when a REALTOR does it! When anyone comes to our Association, and says REAL-A-TOR, the whole room gasps, they know they said it wrong.

Jun 09, 2017 01:05 PM

Kathleen Daniels, Probate & Trust Specialist

KD Realty - 408.972.1822 - San Jose, CA

Probate Real Estate

That's funny. He pronounced it REAL-Ter at the end of the video around 1:04 on the video. Hearing how agents and others say the words ... causes me head to spin!

Jun 09, 2017 01:18 PM

Lou Ludwig

Ludwig & Associates - Boca Raton, FL

Designations Earned CRB, CRS, CIPS, GRI, SRES, TRC

Kasey and John

Yes some Realtors have a challenge on pronouncing the word Realtor.

Good luck and success.

Jun 09, 2017 07:55 PM

Lol Joan Cox. They should maybe teach it in membership orientation. Or maybe they do and people just forget? -Kasey

Jun 09, 2017 07:59 PM

Joan Cox

Denver, CO

I noticed that too Kathleen Daniels and chuckled. He said it two different ways. Apparently pronouncing the last part "ER" or "ORE" is controversial though. I was reading some things when I was writing this blog that claimed proper pronunciation grammatically of the ending OR is "er" like how we pronounce doctor. Others I have heard swear that REALTOR is pronounced REAL-TORE. So, even if we get the middle part right maybe the second half is still wrong. Haha! -Kasey

Jun 09, 2017 08:04 PM

Some in the industry as well as the public Lou Ludwig! -Kasey

Jun 09, 2017 08:08 PM

Nina Hollander, Broker

Coldwell Banker Realty - Charlotte, NC

Your Greater Charlotte Realtor

This is a good one, Kasey. Then again, I hear too many Realtors say Realator, themselves! As for other mispronounced words, I hate when caramel is pronounced carmel. What happened to that "a" in the middle? When I hear carmel, it sets my teeth on edge.

Jun 10, 2017 08:21 AM

Nina Hollander at the risk of you thinking less of me, I am guilty of that one. I don't know anybody here in Idaho that pronounce it car-a-mel. While incorrect, it may also be regional - in other words, one whole region says it wrong and teaches their children it wrong. Lol. I'll do better Nina. Kasey

Jun 10, 2017 08:35 AM

Hi Kasey... that's what they tell that it's regional... but I have to admit I'm a bit of a language nazi (maybe because I didn't speak English until I was thrown into first grade and it wasn't my first language).

PS I don't think less of you, just make sure that one day when we meet face to face you don't set my teeth on edge! (Not a good look for me.)

Jun 10, 2017 08:46 AM

Mary Yonkers

Erie, PA

When we meet in person Nina Hollander, I will bring along a gift of caramel candies. I will hand them to you and say, "Nina, I brought you these caramels, I hope you will enjoy." And you will be proud. -Kasey

Jun 10, 2017 08:53 AM

Kasey & John Boles ~ can the caramel be mixed with chocolate please?

Jun 10, 2017 09:15 AM

Absolutely Nina Hollander! :-) Kasey

Jun 10, 2017 02:29 PM

Mary Yonkers

Alan Kells School of Real Estate/Howard Hanna Real Estate - Erie, PA

Erie/PA Real Estate Instructor

Tsk, this as age-old mispronounciation and I might have misspelled 'tsk' as well.

Thanks for your humorous as well as informative post, Kasey & John Boles

Jun 10, 2017 10:15 AM

Thanks for your comment Mary Yonkers. Do you teach people in your class how to pronounce it? Or do you not talk about it since you are just teaching licensing and aren't affilliated specifically with NAR? You should make it a test question anyway, lol. -Kasey

Jun 10, 2017 02:30 PM

Not in pre-license class but yes in agent training classes & occasionally in CE

Jun 10, 2017 05:23 PM

Kasey & John Boles

Boise, ID

Jun 10, 2017 06:36 PM

Anonymous

Mark Stivers

He says it three different ways in the video
RE AL TOR
REEL TOR
REEL TER

May 08, 2019 10:03 PM

#28

FAQ : How Do You Pronounce REALTOR®?

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